US officials satisfied with referendum plans
US President Barack Obama in Oval Office meeting with his special envoy to Sudan Scott Gration. Efforts have intensified for the substantial diplomatic investments in the East African nation, with a presence on the ground by US envoy Scott Gration. Photo/FILE
Senior United States government officials said on Thursday the environment in Sudan is good for the outcome of the referendum that starts on Sunday.
They said they are also confident of peace during the process, and in the long run, given the statements made by leaders of the north and the semi-autonomous south and the work that has been going on there.
They told journalists on a teleconference there have been “substantial diplomatic investments to ensure a peaceful referendum no matter the outcome.”
These efforts have intensified over the last nine months, they said, with a presence on the ground by US envoy Scott Gration and more recently Senator John Kerry, who arrived there on Tuesday.
“We believe the people will be able to make a choice and that choice will be respected by all,” said one official.
They spoke off the record and on the condition they are not named to allow them to speak freely, but were sanctioned by the US government to make the remarks.
If the south chooses to become a state, they said, the US would formally appoint an ambassador and kick off the implementation of a strategy for that country’s development.
They said the US would provide help for the development of education, infrastructure, agriculture as well as the promotion of trade and investment between the two countries.
The US also welcomed the remarks made by President Omar al-Bashir on his visit to Juba last Tuesday, where he said he would “celebrate the result of the referendum even if the south votes to secede.”
“I personally will be sad if Sudan splits. But at the same time I will be happy if we have peace in Sudan between the two sides,” President Bashir said in a speech to senior southern officials.
“I am going to celebrate your decision, even if your decision is secession,” he added.
But worries still remain about Abyei, which lies in an oil-rich region, and whose residents will decide where to belong after the referendum.
The officials however sounded confident the area would not develop into a flash point, and a decision would be reached after talks between the SPLM and the National Congress Party.
